Chris Parsons, a lawyer at Herbert Smith Freehills for 36 years and Chairman of their India Practice for the last 16 years, joins Dr. Ruth Allan on the 11th Episode of Brain Health: Unchaining Your Pain.Chris went public with his struggles in 2015 and since then has made it an essential part of his mission to help understand what mental ill health looks likeIn this episode, we talk about how a combination of Chris's unresolved childhood trauma due to an emotionally destructive relationship with his father and the stress of his job resulted in his first major mental breakdown in 1996 after collapsing in the gym.After being told by the doctor, 'There's nothing wrong with you,' the realization that his struggles were not physical but mental put him into a deep depression. At the time, the narrative at work was that 'Chris is overdoing it and needs to recharge his batteries.' The reality was very different as his specialist at the time described his mental breakdown as the equivalent of having a major heart attackDuring the discussion, Chris praises the support offered by his firm and talks about the key steps they took to allow him to recover at his own pace without judgment.In 2018, Chris completed an intensive program in Psychotherapy at Regent's University in London.Chris's passion is mental health and wellbeing, and he is now a Trustee of MQ Mental Health.Having suffered from severe mental health issues, Chris knows the stigma. He aims to reduce this stigma so that mental ill-health is treated the same as physical ill-healthFor more information, visit:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-parsons-india-mentalwellbeing/ Website: www.hsf.comConnect with Dr. Ruth Allan Website: https://www.ruthmaryallan.com  The Academy: http://www.wellbeingwarrioracademy.com Disclaimer: The content in the podcast and on this webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatmentPlease note this show is for educational purposes only. Please always seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have about a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or my Website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.